Op-Ed: Undermining elections and democracy is a page out of the dictator’s handbook. Literally.
By Jared O. Bell When word came down that USAID was being dismantled in Nicaragua, I was sorting through old documents amid the chaos of the mission close-out. On the desk next to mine sat a book abandoned by a colleague: The Dictator’s Handbook, by political scientists Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith, which lays…
Read MoreTexarkana man sentenced to federal prison in the Eastern District of Texas for possessing firearm equipped with an illegal Glock-switch
TEXARKANA, Texas – A Texarkana man has been sentenced to federal prison for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Jakeem Butler, 25, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a machinegun and was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Robert W.…
Read MoreTarrant County man receives lengthy federal prison sentence as part of Homeland Security Task Force investigation into a fentanyl overdose death in the Eastern District of Texas
PLANO, Texas – A Saginaw man has been sentenced to over 17 years in federal prison as part of a Homeland Security Task Force investigation into a fentanyl overdose death in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Kevin Chase McCauley, 38, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess…
Read MoreTalarico pledges $25 million for Black voter outreach at sometimes tense Houston town hall
By Kayla Guo, The Texas Tribune July 20, 2026 Editor’s note: This story contains explicit language. For over an hour Sunday, Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico stood on stage and fielded questions and, at times, frustration from Black Texans at a majority-Black town hall in Houston. “I’m voting for James Talarico, and I hope…
Read MoreTracking the money raised and spent in the U.S. Senate race between James Talarico and Ken Paxton
By Hien An Ngo, The Texas Tribune July 20, 2026 The race for Texas’s senate seat is shaping up to be one the most expensive competitions in the nation. Democratic nominee James Talarico is setting records, raising more at this stage of the race than any Texas general-election candidate in the past decade and posting…
Read MoreTexarkana region embraces lithium mining potential
By Jess Huff, The Texas Tribune July 20, 2026 TEXARKANA — On Wednesday, a conglomeration of local, state and federal leaders came together at the first State of Lithium Symposium for the region to examine the future of lithium mining in Texas. The U.S. depends primarily on foreign nations, such as China and Chile, to…
Read MoreUvalde residents shocked by rare flooding that ripped through homes
By Ayden Runnels, The Texas Tribune July 17, 2026 UVALDE — The creek behind Aracely Balderas’ home was almost always empty in the six years she’s lived in northeast Uvalde. So on Thursday morning, as she watched her home camera feed from the safety of her parents’, she couldn’t grasp how 2 feet of water…
Read MoreWayland sets record for Plainview campus applications for the Fall 2026 semester
PLAINVIEW, TX — Wayland Baptist University has received more applications for admission to its Plainview campus than at any point in the institution’s 117-year history, setting a record as the university prepares to welcome its Fall 2026 class. As of July 15, Wayland had received more than 1,900 undergraduate applications for admission to the Plainview…
Read MoreTxDOT: Mistakes Turn Deadly at High Speeds
1,247 people were killed in speed-related crashes in Texas last year AUSTIN – In Texas, getting there a few minutes faster isn’t worth a lifetime of consequences. Choosing to slow down is one of the simplest ways to protect yourself—and everyone else on the road. That’s the message behind Drive Like a Texan: Kind. Courteous. Safe.—TxDOT’s call for drivers…
Read MoreTexas A&M Forest Service awards Community Forestry Grants to support urban forests across Texas
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M Forest Service awarded $389,340 through its Community Forestry Grants Program this month to support community-led projects that expand tree canopy, improve access to green spaces and strengthen urban forests across Texas. The grants will fund projects led by local governments, school districts and nonprofit organizations that focus on community…
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